Evaluating the relationship between health-related social needs, patient demographics, and access to biologics in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma in Bronx, NY

Objectives: This study assesses the relationship between patient age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, social determinants of health (SDoH), and access to biologics (products isolated from natural sources that target specific molecules, proteins, and cells) in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma in Bronx, NY. Methods: Cohort of 289 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma treated at Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) from 2018 to 2020 was used. Patient demographics, self-reported social needs, and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were analyzed. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was estimated by determining median income in patients’ residential zip codes using 2020 Census data and grouping patients based on whether neighborhood median income was above or below New York State (NYS) median ($71,117/year). Area Deprivation Index tool (ADI) was used as an additional measure of neighborhood socioeconomic status. Results: Patients living in regions with incomes below NYS median found to have longer wait times between biologic approval to administration than patients living in regions above median income (p = 0.012). Mean time from insurance approval to biologic administration was significantly different between Black and Latinx patients (p = 0.009). No significant difference found for patient regional income status and time from biologic prescription to approval. No significant differences in access to biologics were found for age, gender, number of health-related social needs, or patient ADI quartile. Conclusions: Patients who live in areas of NYC where median income is below NYS median are more likely to experience delays in access to biologics, specifically due to time between approval and administration of medication.